By John Keller
Editor in Chief
We stand on the doorstep of the next generation in serial data switch fabric networking, which will see vast speed increases from today's data processing. The dominant switch fabrics of today–Gigabit Ethernet, PCI Express, and Serial RapidIO–all are ready to move to even faster versions, which promise fundamental leaps in embedded computing power.
Systems engineers, meanwhile, are finding innovative uses for point-to-point communications links called Aurora and SerialLite for field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) from Xilinx and Altera, and are even finding new value in old standbys.
Switch fabric technology is a godsend for embedded computing designers who increasingly realize that parallel databuses like VME 64 simply are no longer adequate for today's high-end aerospace and defense applications in electro-optical sensor processing, software-defined radio, signals intelligence, and radar signal processing.
Switch fabrics represent the next step in intra- and inter-system data communications in high-end and complex systems. Switch fabrics blend hardware and software to move data into a network that joins sensors, single-board computers, and central processing units to move data coming into a network node out by the correct path to the next node in the network. Without this kind of technology in today's world of high-speed central processors, data bottlenecks and roadblocks likely would proliferate through complex signal processing and cause crippling delays by a failure to move information quickly enough to keep up with processor capacity.
While switch fabrics have enabled systems designers to take the next steps in signal processing capability, the next generations will help move data and signal processing ahead even more. Gigabit Ethernet technology is enabling high-speed control and monitoring of complex data processing. While 1-gigabit and 10-gigabit Ethernet implementations are commonplace in switch fabric networks, 40- and 100-gigabit Ethernet implementations wait in the wings not only to speed control, monitoring, and predictive maintenance forward, but also to provide more options and standardization for designers of high-speed systems.
Several years ago, the PowerPC microprocessor architecture helped revolutionize digital signal processing (DSP) applications. Prior to that, designers had to use separate dedicated DSP chips and general-purpose microprocessors. The PowerPC enabled them to perform separate tasks with the same kind of chip to simplify programming, acquisition, maintenance, and technology insertion.
Gigabit Ethernet technology could offer similar advantages. While complex switch-fabric based computer systems use Gigabit Ethernet, PCI Express, and Serial RapidIO separately for different tasks within the system, Gigabit Ethernet as it moves into the 40- and 100-gigabit realm may enable designers to implement several different high-speed data paths with the same networking technology. Depending on the application, Ethernet used on several layers of the OpenVPX Multiplane Architecture or similar design approaches could help simplify designs and reduce life cycle costs. Where Ethernet technology is not appropriate, the next generations of PCI Express, RapidIO, and even InfiniBand are ready to become available.
Where switch fabric architectures are concerned, systems designers are looking forward to more speed, less cost and complexity, and easier upgrades and technology insertion. Couple that with new generations of tools like POET from Mercury Computer Systems, and the future of switch fabric architectures looks bright indeed.
PCB |PCB Design Software |PCB Electronics |Printed Circuit Board |
Systems engineers, meanwhile, are finding innovative uses for point-to-point communications links called Aurora and SerialLite for field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) from Xilinx and Altera, and are even finding new value in old standbys.
Switch fabric technology is a godsend for embedded computing designers who increasingly realize that parallel databuses like VME 64 simply are no longer adequate for today's high-end aerospace and defense applications in electro-optical sensor processing, software-defined radio, signals intelligence, and radar signal processing.
Switch fabrics represent the next step in intra- and inter-system data communications in high-end and complex systems. Switch fabrics blend hardware and software to move data into a network that joins sensors, single-board computers, and central processing units to move data coming into a network node out by the correct path to the next node in the network. Without this kind of technology in today's world of high-speed central processors, data bottlenecks and roadblocks likely would proliferate through complex signal processing and cause crippling delays by a failure to move information quickly enough to keep up with processor capacity.
While switch fabrics have enabled systems designers to take the next steps in signal processing capability, the next generations will help move data and signal processing ahead even more. Gigabit Ethernet technology is enabling high-speed control and monitoring of complex data processing. While 1-gigabit and 10-gigabit Ethernet implementations are commonplace in switch fabric networks, 40- and 100-gigabit Ethernet implementations wait in the wings not only to speed control, monitoring, and predictive maintenance forward, but also to provide more options and standardization for designers of high-speed systems.
Several years ago, the PowerPC microprocessor architecture helped revolutionize digital signal processing (DSP) applications. Prior to that, designers had to use separate dedicated DSP chips and general-purpose microprocessors. The PowerPC enabled them to perform separate tasks with the same kind of chip to simplify programming, acquisition, maintenance, and technology insertion.
Gigabit Ethernet technology could offer similar advantages. While complex switch-fabric based computer systems use Gigabit Ethernet, PCI Express, and Serial RapidIO separately for different tasks within the system, Gigabit Ethernet as it moves into the 40- and 100-gigabit realm may enable designers to implement several different high-speed data paths with the same networking technology. Depending on the application, Ethernet used on several layers of the OpenVPX Multiplane Architecture or similar design approaches could help simplify designs and reduce life cycle costs. Where Ethernet technology is not appropriate, the next generations of PCI Express, RapidIO, and even InfiniBand are ready to become available.
Where switch fabric architectures are concerned, systems designers are looking forward to more speed, less cost and complexity, and easier upgrades and technology insertion. Couple that with new generations of tools like POET from Mercury Computer Systems, and the future of switch fabric architectures looks bright indeed.
PCB |PCB Design Software |PCB Electronics |Printed Circuit Board |
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